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Sea/Life
Photographs by David Ellingsen
November 15, 2012 - February 3, 2013

In this portrait series of creatures from the deep, Sea/Life addresses the troubled relationship between humans and the oceans. Many specimens from the Beaty Biodiversity Museum Fish Collection are featured in this award-winning series.

Also on display will be an essay by Rex Weyler, co-founder of Greenpeace International, written as a companion to David's work. Each of the 25 photographs in this exhibition is accompanied by a quotation relating to that specific organism, by researchers working in the field of marine biology.

"David Ellingsen was raised on an island, off the west coast of Canada, on a farm, in forests, surrounded by the sea. His artistic life led him into the heart of great cities, hubs of speed, light, and culture. These images suggest a journey back to nature, a journey that ultimately awaits us all. These images, however, do not provide a taxonomist's record of sea life, but rather appear to probe some forgotten mystery, a reciprocity of beauty and death that lurks in every living creature. In this way, Ellingsen's art may aid us in finding our lost place in nature's grand, dynamic dance of living patterns."

"The stunning photographs provide more than typically bright, colourful images of nature. Rather, these images awaken something deeper and more disturbing within the artist and the viewer. This disturbance may serve to awaken within us a new relationship with the sea and with the natural world around us."
-- Rex Weyler, Co-founder of Greenpeace International

Biography

David Ellingsen is originally from Cortes Island, a remote community of 1000 residents in Canada's Pacific Northwest. Raised on a small family farm surrounded by forest and ocean, his photography is rooted in this rural upbringing. David's photographs have been shown in over thirty solo and group exhibitions in Canada, the USA, Asia, and Europe and are the recipients of numerous awards. Sea/Life was shortlisted for Photolucida's 2012 Critical Mass Book Award and also awarded First Prize at the 2012 Prix de la Photographie Paris (Px3) competition. http://www.davidellingsen.com/

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